UA Ruhr and Hochschule Düsseldorf Programs on the Energy Transition start

Under the name “International Academy for German Engineering and Science” (IAGES), TU Dortmund University, Ruhr University Bochum, the University of Duisburg-Essen and Hochschule Düsseldorf – University of Applied Sciences (HSD) will be offering four English-language continuing education courses on the energy transition. The aim is to qualify native and foreign specialists who are urgently needed by local businesses to meet the challenges of a climate-neutral future. The three partners of the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr) recently concluded a ten-year cooperation agreement with the HSD from the state capital. The first two courses will begin in the winter semester 2025/2026.

The courses are designed to teach the skills needed to build a sustainable future. This includes technological and economic knowledge of green energy systems with a focus on hydrogen. Expertise in sustainable building planning and low-emission solutions for logistics are also in demand. Applications for two Master’s programs are already open until the deadline on 15 July. One is the Master of Science “Sustainable Energy and Hydrogen Infrastructures” at TU Dortmund University and HSD. The second is the Master of Science “Management of Smart and Sustainable Energy Systems”, for which Ruhr University Bochum is responsible. The other two courses will start in the winter semester 2026/2027.

International applicants

The aim of the interdisciplinary continuing education courses is to qualify international specialists specifically for the challenges of the energy transition. Around 30 places are offered on each course every year. The programs are aimed in particular at international Bachelor’s graduates with first experience on the job who would like to continue their professional career in Germany. Tuition fees of around 15,000 euros are charged for the three-semester courses. Prospective students may apply for scholarships that can be offered thanks to close cooperation with partner companies. The program is already attracting international attention: Numerous applications from all over the world – including the USA, Canada, Mexico, China, India and several African countries – testify to the global interest in a sustainable future “Made in Germany”.

The courses follow the modern didactic concept of problem-based learning. Students develop interdisciplinary solutions for real challenges and specific questions from the fields of energy and mobility transition as well as environmental and climate protection. These case studies also come from partner organizations, including companies based in North Rhine-Westphalia such as Schneider Electric SE, E.ON SE, SPIE Deutschland GmbH, Arcadis Deutschland GmbH, Convex Energy GmbH, KONE GmbH and WILO SE. In order to create synergies, these seven companies have also moved into premises on the EUREF-Campus Düsseldorf. It is currently planned that the cross-university courses will also take place there.

Interdisciplinary expertise at the four universities

Applications can be made via the Akademie der Ruhr-Universität gGmbH. Under the direction of Yves Gensterblum, the academy is also responsible for concluding the contracts with the students. Professor Martin Faulstich, senior professor at TU Dortmund University and a proven expert in the field of sustainable technologies, is responsible for the overall academic management of the courses. Professor Lars Lauven, Department of Spatial Planning at TU Dortmund University, and Professor Franziska Schaube, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences, as well as Professor Andreas Löschel, Department of Economics at Ruhr University Bochum, will be responsible for the first two courses. Next year, the Master of Science “Sustainable Logistic Solutions” will be launched under the direction of Professor Ellen Enkel, Faculty of Engineering at the University of Duisburg-Essen, and the Master of Science “Smart Design, Construction and Operation of Sustainable Buildings” under the direction of Professor Markus König, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Ruhr University Bochum.